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The Abbot of Glastonbury sent his steward, Jack Horner, to King Henry VIII with a Christmas gift — a pie in which were hidden the title deeds to twelve manorial estates. (Supposedly, hiding objects in pies was a common practice in those days. One recipe even called for blackbirds, which may have a lot to do with "Sing a Song of Six Pence.") On his way to the king, Jack popped open the pie and stole the deed to the Manor of Mells, a real plum of an estate. To this day the Horner family resides there.